Insufficient balance

  Ma Lian'er saw that he was worried about her, and in her heart it was sweeter than drinking honey. The comforting words were just about to come out of her mouth when she suddenly had another thought: yesterday, the young daughter-in-law's words seemed to imply that she would accept herself, but she didn't know if she had mentioned it to this ruthless husband or not. Today he was willing to worry about her, showing that he wasn't completely heartless after all, and it wasn't in vain for her to put her whole heart on him.

  I'm not as good as... She lightly bit her lower lip, looking at Yang Ling with a hint of a smile, "I'll provoke him a little, if I can make him understand that's the best. Alas! I really don't know what I owed him in my previous life, being a woman, I have to go all out and compromise to beg for his help."

  Ma Lian'er gave Yang Ling a resentful glance and said softly, "Hmph! What can I do? As a woman, no matter how much I say, what waves can I stir up? Eldest brother is like a father, he suppresses me with his paternal authority, and Bi Du Shi is also an official, what can I do?"

  Yang Ling saw her eyes welling up with tears and couldn't help but say in a low voice, "You are your own person, if you don't want to, who can force you?"

  Ma Lian'er originally only wanted to move Yang Ling's heart, but unexpectedly, as she spoke, she stirred up her own painful memories, and her emotions really got a bit out of control. She said gloomily: "A free body? Has it ever existed? Do women have the right to choose their own husbands?"

  Her tone gradually sank: "I would think... I fell in love with someone, for him, I was willing to sacrifice my own reputation and push myself to the brink of despair, just because I liked him and wanted to be with him forever. But did he appreciate it? Maybe in his heart, he still saw me as a sinister, shameless woman who likes to use her wits. If he wants me, that's fine, but if not, others will only praise him for being heroic and a romantic scholar, loved by many women. But that woman would have to hang her head in shame from then on, enduring the cold wind and frosty sword."

  Ma Lian'er's face turned red with anger, and she glared at Yang Ling, saying: "You and Nongniang have a deep affection for each other. I've understood that since the day we were under the city wall. Alright, I'm willing to be your concubine, serve my husband, and manage the household, but it's still hard to fulfill my wishes. Hehe, I'm getting what I deserve. Now that my reputation is ruined, who would still want to treat me as their wife?"

  Yang Ling was stunned for a moment, then said with a hint of embarrassment: "You... you are intelligent and beautiful, why would every man care about those crazy words?"

  Ma Lian'er didn't pick up his words, and said leisurely: "Bi Dousi has three concubines in Jiangnan, I heard that Bi Dousi is very cruel to his concubines, and his wife is extremely fierce...I...now I don't even have the choice of being a concubine...it's self-inflicted, can't be helped?"

  Yang Ling was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and murmured: "Lian'er, it's not that I, Yang Ling, want to force you onto this path. The times, fate... I really have something difficult to say."

  Ma Lian'er listened, her eyelids drooping, two lines of clear tears falling down. There is no greater sorrow than a dead heart. The conversation had reached this point, and Yang Ling still found an excuse to refuse her, she was truly desperate.

  After that night in the snow cave, Ma Lian'er had thoroughly imprinted Yang Ling's shadow in her heart. He was indeed the right man for her. If she hadn't met him, perhaps she would have casually married someone else in the future. But since she knew him, how could those ordinary men who were foolish and treated women as playthings still be taken seriously by her?

  Yang Ling respects her, understands her, and doesn't see her as a promiscuous woman. Looking at how he dotes on Yu Nang, loves her dearly, and never abandons her, if she were to serve him wholeheartedly and be a good wife, he would surely cherish and love her sincerely too. He wouldn't look down on her because of her status as a concubine, nor would he abandon her after his infatuation fades. Isn't such a husband worth her devotion? But she staked everything on her own reputation and lost completely, losing so miserably.

  Yang Ling saw her tears falling, that beautiful face became lifeless, like a stone carving or jade sculpture. For a moment, he was at a loss for what to do, and after a long time, he let out a deep sigh and said helplessly: "A woman's tears......! Lian'er, you have to observe three years of mourning for your father, I'll make a gentleman's agreement with you now. Three years later, if Yang Ling hasn't...ah...fallen on hard times, I'll take you in as my wife! Of course, to be fair, you will still be unmarried at that time, and then you can also choose another path, as long as you have a man in mind!"

  Ma Lian'er suddenly opened her eyes wide, blinked away tears with great effort, and asked disbelievingly: "Really?"

  Yang Ling smiled self-deprecatingly: "Really! As long as Yang Mou hasn't... fallen, and can afford to support you, whoever wants to enter the Yang family's door is not stopped!"

  Ma Lian'er burst into tears and turned to laughter, she suddenly jumped down from the ground, so happy that she wanted to rush up and hug him, but Yang Ling had given her a promise, that boldness and recklessness were all thrown away like Java Island, at this time her expression was extremely shy and hard to bear.

  She bit her cherry lips, her eyebrows slightly raised, her charming eyes curved, and she said softly to Yang Ling: "What's the use of being a fallen noble? Is the official position you're holding now something that people envy? Hmph! Do you think I'm so infatuated with you that I can't even tell which one is higher between the Magistrate and the Governor? You, someone is following you so devotedly, don't you understand their heart?"

  Yang Ling chuckled twice: "What's wrong with the officials nowadays? Ah, yes, I have something to tell you. I originally planned that in two months, when the leather goods merchants from outside the pass go through Jī Míng, they would take care of your coffin and send it back to your hometown, but..."

  Yang Ling will be promoted to Jin Yiwei Commander and Deputy, the news that he will soon go to the capital was told to her, Ma Lian'er listened with joy, her eyebrows raised and she exclaimed: "Great, I was just worried that because of me... Bi Du's department would find trouble for you, now I'm not afraid of him". She thought for a moment, then furrowed her brow in concern and said: "No, this isn't right, military promotions aren't child's play, there must be something strange going on here".

  Yang Ling chuckled and said: "I also think it's strange, but thinking about it, it's not a bad thing. Who would go to such great lengths to give me a high-ranking official position and then still want to harm me?"

  Ma Lian'er has already transitioned into the role of Yang's daughter-in-law and is thinking seriously, shaking her head: "Do you know the saying 'the path to officialdom is fraught with danger'? Let me think about it... Hmm... based on that 'merit' you've established, there's no way you'll be promoted three ranks in a row all the way to the central government. It's even more impossible for someone in the capital to be so kind as to promote your official position for no reason. We need to think carefully, can't let others take advantage of us..."

  Ma Lian'er thought the more she thought, the more she felt that something was wrong. How could there be such a good thing in the world? There must be an important connection that is not understood. Yang Ling's trip to Beijing is auspicious or ominous, and it must have something to do with this unknown connection.

  Yang Ling saw her sitting on the kang, her eyebrows furrowed, muttering to herself, and couldn't help but laugh: "I think you can start a fortune-telling business soon, why think so much? Wait until I enter the capital, meet that Zhang official, and the mystery will be solved naturally. Now thinking more is just speculation, why be suspicious?"

  Ma Lian'er gave him a white eye, scolding: "You're really bold, aren't you worried about others?" She thought for a moment, and then smiled and said: "Then...then when you enter the capital, what will I do?"

  Yang Lingdao said: "Later I will go to ask for help from Huang Xiancheng, and ask Old Huang to help. Two months later, northern merchants will head south, and assist you in returning to Jinling."

  Ma Lian'er's eyes dimmed, and she said reluctantly: "Then... won't I be able to see you for three years? Will you... forget about me after a long time?" She thought to herself, after escorting her father's coffin back to their hometown, should she go to the capital to see him? If he is promoted to Zhidaotongzhi, no one will bother him, and normally he shouldn't enter the Beizhenfu government office which is so harmful. If he is assigned to Jinling Nanzhenshou as an official... hmm, let's wait until there is more news about him.

  Bi Chun Da Zhang, Bi Dou Si and Yan Yue Se smiled at Ma Ang: "Ma Ang, our army will return to Zhejiang soon. You know that after your father's 77th birthday, I won't be able to... Hehehe, otherwise those bookworms from the Jiangzhe Dao would report it to the emperor and we wouldn't be able to get away with it. Do you think you can mention my intentions to your sister today?"

  Ma Ang knew that his sister was a skilled archer and musician, with a beautiful face and a proud temperament. He thought she would rather be the concubine of a hero than the wife of an ordinary man, so when Chun Bao expressed his admiration for Ma Lian'er, he agreed without consulting his sister first. But to his surprise, when he mentioned it to his sister today, she scolded him and chased him away.

  At this time, Bi Chun asked him, he couldn't help but stiffen his face and stammered: "This... I just inquired about my sister's intentions, and haven't mentioned the master's meaning yet. However, Master leads the army on one side, with high status and power, my sister has always admired heroes and great husbands, so she probably won't refuse."

  Bì Chūn's triangular eyes stared at him, listening to his evasive words, and his face suddenly sank. After Guān Shòu Yīng returned today, he casually told Bì Chūn that someone had spread rumors about the affair between Yang Yì Chéng and Mǎ Lián ér, saying they would soon take her as a concubine, which greatly displeased Bì Chūn.

  However, he thought that since Ma Lian'er lived in the post house, it was inevitable that there would be some idle gossip. In terms of status and position, which one was not stronger than Yang Ling? If Miss Ma really intended to become his concubine, wouldn't he have even more hope?

  He recalled the charming and beautiful appearance of Ma Lian'er, but he didn't take these rumors to heart. However, seeing Ma Ao's expression now made him wonder if Miss Ma was indeed unchaste and had a private affair with Yang Yilang, which suddenly gave him a bad feeling.

  Ma Ang saw his gloomy face and was startled, hastily saying: "A big event like marriage, how can it be decided by the daughter's family? As the saying goes, 'the elder brother is the father', I've said that before, that's what my sister meant. My sister is good at horseback riding and archery, these days she must be feeling depressed being stuck in the city. The other day, the newly appointed Zhang County Magistrate hosted a banquet for your honor, why don't you return the courtesy tomorrow and invite Zhang to go hunting together? I'll arrange for my sister to join us, and when we return from the hunt, I'll announce at the banquet that I'm marrying off my sister to you."

  Bichun's face cleared up after hearing this, and he smiled: "Alright then, I'll leave this matter to you. Go see Zhang with my token later."

  Ma Ang bowed and said: "Yes, sir."

  "No need for formalities, starting tomorrow, we'll be family, no need to be polite, hehehe..."